An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines plane in mid-air near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., late Tuesday. Officials said all passengers, crew and troops were killed in the collision.
D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly told reporters that 28 bodies have been recovered as of late Thursday morning.
In an update posted on X, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said emergency personnel are continuing recovery efforts after a search-and-rescue mission was called off.
“Emergency personnel from across the region continue their recovery efforts this morning. We are lifting-up in prayer the families of the passengers and crews. The NTSB is leading the investigation with our full cooperation and support,” Youngkin wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Black Hawk was on a training flight when it collided with the passenger plane.
“At about 8:48 last night, a UH60, assigned to the U.S. Army Aviation Brigade in the military district of Washington, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, collided tragically with a civilian airliner,” Hegseth said on Thursday. “The Army unit involved was with Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir. It was an annual proficiency training flight.”
“We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles,” Hegseth added. “It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner. And of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified. I can’t imagine and I know it’s it’s gone from a rescue mission to a recovery mission.”
Video of the crash was posted on X.
This is breaking news that will be updated as more information becomes available.
